NEW YORK - Linger in a plaza shaded by rustling trees near the river on a warm, sunny, mid-September day. You can forget your troubles there, or, if it’s Dag Hammarskjold Plaza near the United Nations, you can watch groups gather to proclaim both hope and darkness in the wide world.
This week, with the confluence of most of the world’s top leaders for the U.N. World Summit, many groups, like the peaceful Falun Gong practitioners assembled on Monday, are making their cases to passersby, emissaries from distant lands, and the world’s conscience.
About 100 Falun Gong practitioners gathered with an array of banners and placards carrying messages like, “Free Family Members of Citizens and Residents” and “Bring Criminals Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, Liu Jing, Zhou Yankgang to Justice.” Those four are communist leaders who have led the brutal persecution campaign in China against Falun Gong since 1999.
Several of the Falun Gong gave short speeches telling stories of their relatives who were abducted on various pretexts by authorities in China.In reality, they were taken away because of their belief in Falun Gong.
Hunger Strike
The speakers announced the beginning of a 72-hour relay hunger strike meant to draw attention to the plight of their family members. They hope to send a message to current Chinese top leader Hu Jintao, who will be in New York for the summit Sept. 13-15. Hu’s name was not among those whom the group was asking to “bring to justice” on Monday’s banners.
Ms. Yeong-Ching Foo’s fiancé, Dr. Charles Lee of Menlo Park, California, has been in prison in China since January 2003. Lee is a U.S. citizen who was arrested on an Orwellian charge of “intending to sabotage TV or radio” and has suffered beatings and brainwashing due to his persevering in his belief in Falun Gong.
Foo will be on hunger strike, along with Sarah Liang, a U.S. citizen whose 62-year-old mother was sentenced to a year of forced labor for selling MP3 players with Falun Gong music and distributing leaflets. Liang’s brother is also in detention and was denied legal representation because the case involves “state secrets,” a common constitutional dodge used by communist authorities.
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The hunger strikers are quietly sitting Sept. 12-15 at either the plaza, or outside the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, where Hu Jintao is staying during the summit.
Urging Changes
In his speech supporting Falun Gong, China Peace Association president Tang Bai Qiao spoke ringing indictments of the CCP on Monday, saying that its “demonic claw has reached out into other parts of the world—people can see the threat.”
He quoted a saying: “In the face of persecution, if you stay silent, you are no better than the thugs.”
Referring to the incarcerated family members of the Falun Gong hunger strikers, he said, “We have the responsibility to set them free.”
Several of those speaking mentioned that senators and congressmen have written letters of support on behalf of their family members. A letter to President Bush dated September 1 from Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey was presented at the event.
Contrasts
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Before Falun Gong began their event, a smaller but much noisier adjacent group was sending out its message about Japanese violence against China in World War II. Their cymbals and drums seemed shrill next to the 100 or so Falun Gong meditators. Their heated speeches were in Chinese, with the exception of some chanting of “Shame on Japan!” The Falun Gong group spoke in firm but calm English, or Chinese with translation.
Organizers said that Falun Gong would have a presence at the plaza every day through Friday. On Monday, they were staying into the evening. They would continue to hold photos of children orphaned by the persecution campaign, hand out leaflets to passersby, and meditate.
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